Betta tank mates

Good matches

37 of 98

The safest picks for bettas are kuhli loaches, corydoras and cardinal tetras. Each match shares bettas' temperature and pH and leaves them alone.

Keep one male per tank. Long fins make him slow, and he reads bright, long-finned fish as rivals.

Temperature

76–82°F

pH

6.5–7.5

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

Minimum tank

5 gal

With care

31

Avoid

30

Good tank mates

• Kuhli loach76–82°F
• Corydoras76–79°F
• Cardinal tetra76–82°F
• Harlequin rasbora76–80°F
• Neon tetra76–79°F
• Otocinclus76–79°F
• Platy76–80°F
• Congo tetra76–82°F
• Dwarf neon rainbowfish76–82°F
• Cherry barb76–81°F
• Lemon tetra76–82°F
• Bristlenose pleco76–81°F
• Pencilfish76–82°F
• Bamboo shrimp76–82°F
• Clown pleco76–82°F
• Glass catfish76–80°F
• Rummy nose tetra76–82°F
• Apistogramma76–82°F
• Elephant nose fish76–82°F
• Bolivian ram76–79°F
• Black neon tetra76–81°F
• Blood parrot76–80°F
• Kribensis76–80°F
• Ember tetra76–82°F
• Boesemani rainbowfish76–82°F
• Chili rasbora76–82°F
• Glowlight tetra76–80°F
• Odessa barb76–79°F
• Celestial pearl danio76–79°F
• Zebra pleco79–82°F
• Upside down catfish76–79°F
• Zebra loach76–79°F
• Siamese algae eater76–79°F
• German blue ram80–82°F
• Pygmy cory76–79°F
• Hatchetfish76–81°F
• Endler's livebearer76–82°F

Possible, with care

• Guppy Male bettas often attack bright, long-finned fish like guppies, mistaking them for rivals.
• Mystery snail Bettas sometimes pick at snail feelers. Most snails cope by staying shut for a while.
• Cherry shrimp Bettas will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give cherry shrimp somewhere to hide.
• Ghost shrimp Bettas will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give ghost shrimp somewhere to hide.
• Common pleco Plecos sometimes latch on to slow, flat fish like bettas and rasp their slime coat.
• Rainbow shark Rainbow sharks are much bigger and pushier than bettas, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Clown loach Clown loaches grow to 8 inches and need 75 gallons, far more than a tank set up for bettas.
• Swordtail Swordtails are much bigger and pushier than bettas, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Zebra danio They only share 76–77°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Molly Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.5.
• African dwarf frog African dwarf frogs eat slowly and nearly blind. Fast bettas will take the food first, so target-feed them.
• Amano shrimp Bettas will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give amano shrimp somewhere to hide.
• Bala shark At 13 inches a bala shark can swallow a small betta. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Firemouth cichlid Firemouth cichlids are much bigger and pushier than bettas, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Honey gourami Bettas and honey gouramis are both labyrinth fish and tend to fight over the surface.
• Electric blue acara Electric blue acaras are much bigger and pushier than bettas, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Red tail shark Red tail sharks are much bigger and pushier than bettas, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Sparkling gourami Bettas and sparkling gouramis are both labyrinth fish and tend to fight over the surface.
• Silver dollar Silver dollars grow to 6 inches and need 75 gallons, far more than a tank set up for bettas.
• Severum Severums are much bigger and pushier than bettas, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Chinese algae eater Chinese algae eaters are much bigger and pushier than bettas, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Panda cory They only share 76–77°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Crayfish They only share 76–77°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Electric yellow cichlid Different water: bettas want pH 6.5–7.5, yellow labs want pH 7.8–8.6.
• Peacock cichlid Different water: bettas want pH 6.5–7.5, peacock cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6.
• Assassin snail Bettas sometimes pick at snail feelers. Most snails cope by staying shut for a while.
• Ramshorn snail Bettas sometimes pick at snail feelers. Most snails cope by staying shut for a while.
• Discus They only share 82°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Nerite snail Bettas sometimes pick at snail feelers. Most snails cope by staying shut for a while.
• Dojo loach They only share 76–77°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Killifish They only share 76–77°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.

Avoid

• Axolotl Axolotls are coldwater animals (60–66°F); bettas need 76–82°F. No temperature suits both.
• Pea puffer Pea puffers nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
• Angelfish An adult angelfish is twice the size of a betta and will hunt or batter a slow, long-finned fish like this.
• Tiger barb Tiger barbs nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
• Goldfish Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); bettas need 76–82°F. No temperature suits both.
• GloFish tetra Glofish nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
• Oscar An adult oscar eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches bettas do.
• Convict cichlid Convict cichlids are aggressive, and slow, long-finned bettas cannot escape them.
• Yoyo loach Yoyo loaches nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
• Bichir An adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches bettas do.
• Jack Dempsey An adult jack dempsey eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches bettas do.
• Black skirt tetra Black skirt tetras nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
• Black ghost knife An adult black ghost knife eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches bettas do.
• Kissing gourami Bettas and kissing gouramis are both labyrinth fish and tend to fight over the surface.
• Pictus catfish An adult pictus catfish is twice the size of a betta and will hunt or batter a slow, long-finned fish like this.
• Serpae tetra Serpae tetras nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
• Hillstream loach No shared temperature. Bettas need 76–82°F, hillstream loaches need 68–75°F.
• Dwarf gourami Bettas and dwarf gouramis are both labyrinth fish and tend to fight over the surface.
• African cichlid African cichlids are aggressive, and slow, long-finned bettas cannot escape them.
• Blue gourami Bettas and blue gouramis are both labyrinth fish and tend to fight over the surface.
• Pearl gourami Bettas and pearl gouramis are both labyrinth fish and tend to fight over the surface.
• Tinfoil barb Tinfoil barbs nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
• Koi Koi are coldwater animals (59–77°F); bettas need 76–82°F. They overlap only at 76–77°F, the edge of both ranges.
• Rosy barb Rosy barbs nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
• White cloud minnow White cloud minnows are coldwater animals (60–72°F); bettas need 76–82°F. No temperature suits both.
• Paradise fish Paradise fish nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
• Gold barb No shared temperature. Bettas need 76–82°F, gold barbs need 64–75°F.
• Flowerhorn An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches bettas do.
• Silver arowana An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches bettas do.
• Fancy goldfish Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); bettas need 76–82°F. No temperature suits both.

Planning a mixed tank? The tank mate checker tests every pair at once. Or read the betta care sheet.